Pick Up The Pieces Of My Heart
by be-my-guardian-angel
Summary: "I'm not okay. I'm messed up in the head. I can't go on like this…" She started to edge herself over the railing. "Cat, don't!" Robbie screamed. "Please!" / Or, Beck pushes Cat to the edge and Robbie knows he has to act fast if he wants to pull her back. Oneshot, AU in a way.


Cat stared blankly at the unmoving phone on her kitchen counter, eyes flitting ever so often to the round analog clock mounted directly above the stove. It'd been 30 minutes since Beck had returned her numerous frantic phone calls, only to say in the most annoying manner _"I'll be home in ten, stop worrying."_ He didn't bother to address her question of where had he been the past two hours, oh no. That apparently didn't matter to him.

Where _was_ he? Did he get lost on the same road he'd been taking back to their apartment for the past three years? Did he get in an accident? Did he simply grow tired of caring about salvaging their relationship and finally left?

She didn't know. And frankly, she didn't care. All she wanted was to see his face and scream out numerous obscenities until her throat was raw. He was so maddeningly frustrating that to this day she still wondered why she married him.

Miserable was quite possibly the only word to describe their relationship. In their Hollywood Arts days, there'd been chemistry here and there, but they'd never actually connected until college. Jade moved to New York to become a playwright, and while that panned out for her extremely well, Cat's post high school endeavors did not. Her attempt at a singing career was short-lived, as an unexpected need for throat surgery permanently damaged her voice. Devastated, depression overwhelmed her and she stayed holed up until a year before graduation. Then Beck swooped in and saved the day.

Surprisingly enough, if you get a few tequilas into Cat Valentine she'll be whoever you want her to be. And Beck took advantage of that. It's not like girls from all over the world were readying themselves to get in his bed, despite his good looks. Besides, Cat had something special about her. She still did, according to him.

Things started spiraling out of control when Beck turned casual drinking at clubs and parties into a regular hobby. His battle with alcoholism cost him many precious acting jobs, and even C and B list directors didn't want to have anything to do with him. He promised he'd sober up, though—and the precious Cat Valentine was just the way to do that.

When Beck first proposed, Cat declined, even though they were in an on-again, off-again type of deal. She had fallen back on acting and people loved her for her genuine personality. She didn't want to be seen with him, thus ruining her rep. At the time she'd been living with Trina, who ran a successful graphic design business based out of Sacramento. But somehow—maybe it was the late-night visits complete with movies and make out sessions—Beck had won her over.

Silly, stupid girl.

Now, three years later, here she was. Wishing that she'd had enough sense to leave temptation behind and do what was best for _her_ life. Sometimes she thought about filing for divorce, but felt it was too hard to leave Beck. He'd always make his way back and put her into some kind of trance. The horrible cycle would never change, no matter what she did or said.

The phone still hadn't rung.

* * *

><p>"…But please, whatever you do, keep your kids away from fire hydrants!"<p>

The crowd erupted into laughter once again, and Robbie felt a little smile touch his lips. They all adored him, just like every year when he performed. "Thanks for your time everybody, I'm Rob Shapiro, have a great night!"

The screams and cheers echoed off the building as he got off the stool and jogged backstage. His manager Roxie was waiting for him in the green room, as the other comedians got ready to go out.

"Excellent job, sweetheart!" She high-fived him with a big smile on her face, a few brown ringlets of her hair falling in front of her face. "You knock em' dead every year."

"Yeah, well, it's just a little thing I do," Robbie sheepishly shrugged as he felt the heat rise to his neck. Being a professional comedian was something he couldn't have imagined doing ten years ago, but now people all around the country had him booked at comedy clubs and large parties. It was thrilling, to say the least. But one thing he missed the most was hanging out with his friends, just like old times. The last he'd heard from Jade was that her play had made it on Broadway, and she'd finally found a guy that was willing to put up with her. But he definitely wasn't a jerk, like she felt Beck was.

André and Tori were still engaged, last time he knew, producing and singing music together on their own record label. Everything had turned out great for the whole gang, even Trina. Everyone was happy.

Everyone except Cat, that is.

It'd been years but saying her name still made butterflies flap their hardest in his stomach. He couldn't let go of her. He was still in love with her, despite her marriage to Beck, despite all of her rejections in high school. She was still his girl, even if she didn't want to be.

He hadn't talked to her in months, though. He feared they were growing apart, or worse, Beck was preventing them from speaking to each other. Ever since he started drinking, Robbie feared that he'd go into rages and do something terrible to Cat. How could she stay without someone who was always toying with her emotions, and playing games with something as precious as her heart? What compelled her to stay?

"Rob, snap out of it."

Robbie blinked, looked up and let out a nervous chuckle. Taylor Mason, one of his fellow comedians and friends was standing in front of him. Had he been trying to make conversation the entire time?

"Oh, um, I'm sorry. I kinda zoned out there." Clearing his throat, he sidestepped the older man and made a beeline for the water cooler. "What were you saying?"

"Roxie said there's a call for you. I don't know if she's still got the person on hold or not."

"Oh, thanks." He walked towards the back of the room to where Roxie was standing, holding his iPhone. Worry lines tugged at her face and when she noticed him, she let out a breath of relief. "Honey, here he is. Just calm down and don't worry." She spoke into the phone.

Robbie's palms started to sweat, as always when he was put into pressured situations. Who was on the phone? "Who is it?" He mouthed.

Roxie shrugged and handed him the phone. "She's crying like crazy, though. She only wants to talk to you."

_Cat._ He thought immediately, putting the phone to his ear. "Cat? Hello?"

"Robbie!" She choked out, desperation lacing her voice. She was sobbing and trying to speak, but it came out incoherent. He didn't have to ask to know something had happened with Beck. Anger began to bubble inside of him, but he took a deep breath and tried not to let it overtake him. "Cat, calm down! Talk _slowly_, okay? I can't understand what you're saying. Please."

She sniffled and breathed out heavily. A full minute had to have passed before she spoke, the only sound being her shakily breathing. "I need you to come over here." She said unevenly. "Please, Robbie. Beck was supposed to be home hours ago! I don't know where he is, I'm so scared and I can't think straight—"

"I'm all the way in San Jose, Cat, I can't come right away…" He raked a hand through his hair, frustrated, wishing the comedy club were closer to where she lived. "It's a four hour drive."

A weary groan escaped her lips. It was almost as if she'd forgotten how far away they were from each other, despite being in the same state. "W-well can you start heading this way now? Please, Robbie. I didn't know who else to call."

He glanced over at Roxie, who had been listening the entire time. He had another show to do in an hour…but would they excuse him for something as serious as this?

"I…I'll call you when I get there, cupcake. I promise. Call me if anything else happens, okay?"

He could sense that she was nodding. "Okay. I love you, Robbie."

Robbie knew she didn't mean it in the way that he'd been hoping—she couldn't have, right?—but it still made him smile a little. "Love you too."

* * *

><p>Beck came stumbling into the apartment at 11:00 p.m., an hour after he'd claimed he be home in ten minutes. Cat was sitting on the couch, pretending like she didn't see him and instead tried to focus her attention to the movie on the TV. But she couldn't. From her peripheral she saw him remove his jacket, put his keys on the coffee table next to the door, and then stride over to her with his shoes still on. "Hey." He said quietly. "Sorry I'm late, kitten."<p>

She grimaced, but felt he didn't deserved to be looked in the eye. He reeked of cigarette smoke and alcohol, a stench she was used to by now. "3 hours, Beck. That's a new record don't you think? I thought you got into an accident, maybe got killed or something." Finally tilting her head towards him, she gave him the hardest glare she could manage. "For you, though, that'd be an improvement."

His hand hit her cheek so hard, so fast, that her world was shrouded in black for a few seconds. Hot tears filled her eyes as she stared at him in horror. He'd never hit her before. Yelling was as far as it went. "You always said I was too beautiful, and that I didn't deserve to be hit. What ever happened to that Beck Oliver? Where did he go?"

He stared at her intensely, and then shook his head as if dismissing whatever he'd been planning to say. "I don't have time for this."

"Time for what?" She yelled, standing up to face him. Their height difference at one point was looked at as cute, but now it made him seem more intimidating. "You don't have time to give your wife an explanation as to where you've been? What you've been doing?"

"Is that any of your business? At least I _came_ home!"

She laughed bitterly. "_That's_ your excuse? You think somehow you're justified because you 'came home'? I'm your wife, in case you forgot. Your business is my business, got it?"

He growled angrily and for a second, when he balled his fist, she thought he'd hit her again. She felt the slightest bit relieved when he didn't. "Just get out of my hair, Cat! Please!" He shoved her away and stalked to their bedroom.

"No! I can't even if I wanted to!" She screamed, allowing the tears to fall as she ran after him. "Do you realize that I love you? I care about you, Beck! I don't want to see your life destroyed because you can't hold your liquor!"

He didn't respond. Instead he began to remove his tie and unbutton his suit shirt.

Cat felt broken. Defeated. She knew she wasn't getting anywhere with him but something in her wanted to keep trying. Hesitantly, she laid a hand on his forearm. "Beck. Please, don't shut me out."

"Cat, stop." He said finally. "There's no point in trying anymore. Our marriage doesn't mean anything anymore."

It felt like he'd stabbed her. Ever so often she thought that maybe he'd change. Maybe things would get better. Maybe she would stop wishing that she'd allowed someone else to capture her affections—someone like Robbie—her life was comprised of a million maybes. But none of them had come true. "You don't mean that." She whispered. Why was she still pleading? What was wrong with her? Why didn't she just _leave_? Why was it so hard to do what was best for her?

"Yes, Cat, I do." He sighed and tossed his dirty clothes into the hamper nearby. "I'm leaving tonight."

"No," She said, suddenly feeling tightness in her chest as her life began to fall away brick by brick. "I'll do anything."

"Cat, I'm seeing someone else." Beck shook her arm away and walked into the bathroom. How could he be so nonchalant about something so serious, so devastating? Didn't he care about her feelings?

_No, and he never has. _Her mind screamed back at her. _Get out, Cat. Get out before it's too late._

"For how long?" She asked weakly, sinking down to the floor. Nausea made waves in her stomach.

"Does it matter?" He asked.

She hated this. Everything was coming at her so rapidly she didn't have time to process it fully. He was saying something else, but her mind had since drowned out his words. Everything was muddled. She couldn't see straight, couldn't think straight.

Her life was over as far as she was concerned.

* * *

><p>Robbie looked at his watch and blew out a sigh. Thankfully Roxie had allowed him to take leave early and asked one of the other comedians to take his place. It meant rescheduling things for his tour, but if it meant being able to be by Cat's side in her time of need, then it didn't matter.<p>

Rain poured overhead, the sudden change in weather almost seeming like a foreshadowing of things to come. Cat hadn't called him back, which led him to believe that things were fine—but what if they weren't? What if Beck had hurt her and she wasn't able to call because she was unconscious?

_Quit worrying. _He told himself. He was only an hour away from she and Beck's apartment. _She's fine. And if she's not, then…then she'd call._

Robbie's phone buzzed in that moment, which made him jump a little. He pushed a button on the control panel in front of him as he answered. "Hello?"

"Robbie!" It was Jade, sounding frantic. He got over the initial shock of having not talked to her in months and focused on what she was trying to say. "Please tell me you've talked to Cat within the past few minutes!"

The GPS said something that Robbie ignored. "N-no, I haven't in a couple of hours. Why, what's going on? I'm on my way to the apartment now—"

"Hurry up! She called me 20 minutes ago and said Beck left. They got into a really bad fight and he hit her, I think, I don't know. She was screaming and crying and then she said she was going to kill herself. Robbie, you have to hurry, _please_." Jade begged, something she never did. "She's tried to before but it sounds really bad this time."

Robbie's heart was pounding. Why did he have to live so far away? "Jade, have you tried calling her back?"

"No, I just got a busy signal." She sobbed. "Rob, you're the only one that can snap her out of this. She needs you."

He gripped the wheel a bit tighter and pressed his foot down on the gas a little more. "Call the police and explain the situation. I'm hurrying as fast as I can."

Pause. "She can't die, Rob."

A pang of pain hit his chest. He didn't want to think about that right now. "She'll be fine, Jade. I swear."

* * *

><p>The wind blew through Cat's hair as she looked out over the bustling city streets. The downtown area was alive with people walking to and fro. Laughter rang out from the restaurant across the street. Jazz music spilled from the local bar and into the ears of pedestrians.<p>

No one noticed her sitting on the railing, ready to end her life.

She'd called Jade and told her everything. That was 20 minutes ago when she was a sobbing wreck. Tori didn't answer but she left a message. She lost Trina's number a while back and didn't bother calling André or Robbie. She didn't have enough strength. Besides, when she was gone, the news would get around.

Beck slapped her again before he left.

Her cheek felt raw, as if someone had taken glass—maybe a shard or two from the vases she'd knocked over in her fit of rage not moments ago—and scraped away at her skin. Her eyes were bloodshot from sobbing over a man who from the beginning never truly cared about her in the first place. He'd held her heart and then when he was finished with it, tossed it in the trash.

He broke her.

But how would he feel if he knew her death was his fault?

Cat almost laughed at how he would talk about her in her eulogy. Maybe he'd say something about how she always lit up a room. How they wanted to have kids in the future. How much he adored her. Then, being the amazing actor he is he'd fake a few tears, his family would console him and that'd be it.

The redhead peered down at the city below. It was almost time.

"Cat."

The voice filled her ears and made her grip the rusted guardrail tighter. Her mind began to race. Was she hallucinating? Robbie couldn't be here. Not now. It was a four-hour drive. There was no way he could've made it here that fast.

Slowly, she turned her head. Their eyes locked and her heart jolted. He came. He kept his promise.

But did it really matter? _No, not really._ She thought sadly to herself. Maybe at least she'd get to say goodbye.

"Robbie?" She said softly, studying him. She couldn't even remember the last time they'd seen each other. No glasses and a few weeks worth of stubble didn't quite suit him. "Why are you here?"

"You asked me to come, right?" He laughed, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. He stepped forward slowly, cautiously, trying to avoid stepping on the broken glass strewn across the carpet. "Where's Beck?"

"Probably in some skank's bed, why?" She turned away then, refocusing her attention back out to the street.

_Keep talking to her Rob. _"Cat, look at me. Don't you wanna talk?"

"Nope." She replied, popping the 'P'. "I don't want to talk to anyone."

"Why not?" He was behind her now, but she wasn't looking at him so she didn't know. He didn't dare touch her. Not yet. Spooking her would be the last thing to do. "Cat, please? You know you can talk to me."

"I don't want to talk." Her voice broke suddenly as fresh tears spilled. "You don't understand. I have to do this, Robbie. I'm worthless. Nobody loves me. Beck doesn't, he never did. I was so stupid. I believed his lies over everyone else trying to tell me to stay away from him!" Finally, she looked at him. Every part of her was worn down, and it stung to see her this way. The light was completely gone from her eyes. "Y-you just don't understand."

"Cat, I do. Believe me I do." Hesitantly he touched her arm. She didn't shrink back, just kept sobbing. "I know Beck treated you terribly. But don't you think you deserve to show the world how you overcame it? Cat, think of your family. Your friends. Think of all the people in Hollywood who adore you—"

"It's _not about that!_" She yelled. "I know there are people who love me, Robbie! But I'd rather die than keep faking smiles and going through the motions. I'm not okay." In a lower tone, she repeated herself. "I'm not okay. I'm messed up in the head. I can't go on like this…" She started to edge herself over the railing.

"Cat, _don't!_" Robbie screamed. "_Please!_" His hands gently encircled her waist, holding on as tightly as he possibly could. She screamed, gripping the railing until her knuckles were white.

"Stop it! _LET ME DO THIS_!" She cried.

"Cat, look at me. Look at me!" He yelled at the top of his lungs. She stared at him, eyes wide and seeming to be in a far away place. Reality was beginning to slip away from her. He needed to bring her back. "Caterina Valentine, do you understand how much I love you? Forget about Beck. Forget about everything. This is your life we're talking about here. People need you. _I_ need you. And I'm not letting you jump, no matter what you say or how bad you feel. You are worth something and if you can't see that, then there are dozens and dozens of people who do. If you jump, I'm going with you. I swear to God." Robbie found his own voice breaking, a lump having formed in his throat. "Please, angel. I'll help you. We'll get you the help you need, okay? I promise. Just don't do this. You can't."

A full minute passed, but it seemed like hours to Robbie. Cat finally squeezed her eyes tightly and fell forward into his arms. Her arms went around his neck as she sobbed, screamed, and apologized to him repeatedly.

Robbie rubbed her back and sank to the floor, rocking her back and forth like he might a baby. He whispered soothing words into her ear to calm her down, and hugged her tightly. Swallowing hard to keep from crying, he planted a tender kiss on her forehead.

"Cat, you're okay. You're fine. Everything's going to be alright."

* * *

><p>Five months passed. Cat took an indefinite leave of absence from any acting projects due to her health. Although she was declared legally sane, the doctors did suggest she see a psychiatrist twice a week to deal with the scars, both emotional and physical, left by Beck. About a week after the incident, Beck was arrested on assault and battery charges of another woman he met at a bar. As a result of the case, Cat came forward and exposed every detail of their relationship and how he treated her, successfully winning the lawsuit she'd filed against him in the process.<p>

Jade had forced her best friend to move in with her. There were no ifs ands or buts about it. Cat was just glad to be surrounded by people who genuinely cared for her. It was a good feeling. Normalcy was starting to seep back into her life, little by little.

But, unfortunately she and Robbie hadn't kept in contact.

She wasn't sure what had happened. But she owed her life to him and never properly got the chance to thank him for it. Ever so often his words would ring in her head and it'd make her smile.

He loved her. She'd always known it. Why did she never reciprocate? The answer was still unknown. But there had never been a guy, even before Beck that had looked after her like Robbie did. He was always there even if it inconvenienced him or his schedule.

Why couldn't all men be like him?

It was a cool fall day in New York. Jade had gone shopping with Ian, her boyfriend, and they wouldn't be back until late. Cat was sitting at the kitchen table writing a few emails to a few of her colleagues that were wondering how her life was now that Beck was no longer in it. She sipped on some coffee, and turned up the TV movie that was playing. It was one of those Hallmark Christmas movies that were incredibly corny but romantic. She hit send on her latest message, and then looked up when the doorbell rang.

Grunting, she moved the computer from her lap and went to answer the door. Getting on her tiptoes, she looked through the peephole and gasped.

It was Robbie.

"Oh my God," She breathed, practically ripping the door off the hinges after unlocking it. "Rob!" She squealed, throwing her arms around him in a tight hug.

He chuckled deeply, hugging her back. "Hey, princess. Long time no see, eh?"

She pulled away from the embrace, a soft smile on her face. "No kidding, you dork. Come on in. Jade's out shopping."

He stepped inside the apartment and looked around. "Impressive. Mind if I sit down?"

"Of course not," She smiled again, motioning for him to take the seat next to hers. "How've you been? How's your career going?"

"Pretty good, actually." He sighed, watching her as she poured him a mug of coffee. "I'm in New York for the weekend. I'm performing at Radio City Music Hall on Friday."

She gasped, setting the mug down in front of him and taking a seat. "Really? I've got tickets for that! I bought them last month but I didn't know you were going to be there."

He nodded. "Yeah, I was a last-minute fill in. I think they're planning to put me up last so it's like a surprise for the audience."

"That's so cool. I'm proud of you." She then stood to refill her own cup.

Robbie shrugged sheepishly. "Eh, it's whatever." Cat giggled and it made him realize how much he missed that sound. "So…how have things been for you? I'm sorry I haven't kept in touch."

Cat pursed her lips together. "It's fine, I've been busy too. Things have been going okay. I'm taking it day-by-day." She chuckled sadly and looked down at the floor. "Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and expect him to be there…"

Robbie nodded sympathetically. "I get that. But you haven't…you haven't thought about suicide again, have you?"

"Sometimes," She admitted quietly, turning to face him. "I know it's stupid. But I feel like I should've gotten over this already and I haven't."

Robbie stood, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It takes time, Cat. Don't feel like you have to get over it quickly so you can hurry and get back to acting. Take as long as you need."

Cat nodded and set her mug back down on the stove. "Thanks, Rob." Taking in a deep breath, she looked up at him. "That night on the terrace…when you said you'd jump if I did…did you mean that?"

He looked down at her. "Of course I did."

She blinked, astonished. "But why? Why would you end your life because of stupid choices I made in mine?"

"I care about you." He said in a quiet voice, as if the answer was obvious. "I always have, Cat. I always will."

Cat was quiet for a beat, not noticing how close they were to each other until now. "Rob…do you love me? And I don't mean like, all those games we played back in high school. Well, I played them mostly." She smiled a little at the thought of how airheaded she was back then. "I mean do you really love me?"

Robbie's heart was crashing against his ribcage. For years he'd battled with this question. _Did_ he really love Cat Valentine? Did he have real, genuine feelings for her or was it just a fleeting crush?

His mind went back over all the fun they'd had over the years. How much he wanted her to be successful in everything that she did. His frustration over her decision to marry Beck and how he had to keep in what he really wanted to say to himself. His emotions five months ago…he was willing to die for her. That much he knew.

His answer was simple. "Yes, Cat. I love you."

She studied his face and emotions hit her all at once. Robert Shapiro had been here all along. Nothing he'd done or said to her since they'd known each other had been malicious or fake. His honesty was something she'd always admired. And even now, as she looked into his eyes she knew that what he had just said was true. He loved her.

"I love you too. I always have. I just…didn't want to admit it." She whispered.

Slowly, he lifted his hand to touch her cheek, the same cheek that Beck mistook for a punching bag five months ago. She shivered, goosebumps pricking her arms as she looked into his eyes.

"Can I tell you a secret?" He asked, a hint of a smile on his face.

Cat laughed softly, and nodded. "Sure."

His lips touched hers and everything finally fell into place.

* * *

><p><strong>A review would be cool. :)<strong>

**-Aria**


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